** A/N: I swear this story is bound and determined to rewrite itself into something that I don't want it to be. I will have my dark story and my dark ending. It's just going to be a few more chapters than I thought it would so plz be patient w/me.
Lena went inside and confronted Callie. "Callie Q! Get over here!"
"What Mama?" Callie came over and decided to take the innocent route. She could tell her Mama was angry and she knew she deserved it. But, Stef and Brandon had left. And hopefully wouldn't be coming back again.
Lena sat her down on the sofa.
"What you just did was unacceptable. You never speak to anyone like that. You hurt Brandon and Stef. They're your friends. What's going on with you? Why would you do that? That's not how my sweet little baby girl behaves."
Callie crossed her arms and pouted. She was not going to make this easy.
Lena decided to take this time to try and talk to Callie about some of the changes that were still ahead of them.
"Baby, you know Mama and Mommy love you very much don't you?
"Of course, Mama. I'm your heart. And you can't live without your heart. Right?" Callie said.
"No, Mama could never live without her heart. Anything else, but not her heart." Lena studied her for a minute trying to form her next words carefully. Callie looked so sweet and innocent. She still had that baby roundness to her features. Lena couldn't resist leaning over and giving her a kiss.
"Baby, you know that Mommy's been away for a long time right?" When Callie nodded to show she was listening, Lena continued. "Well, you and I moved here because Mama and Mommy needed some time apart. We just couldn't be friends anymore." At Callie's blank look Lena tried a different route.
"Callie, Mommy's not going to come and live with us. She's going to have her house. And me, you, and the babies are going to have this house."
Callie burst out in tears. Her whole world was changing so fast. It was a lot for a little girl to take on and Lena's heart broke for her. She scooped her up in her arms and held her until she quieted.
"Why Mama? Doesn't she love us? Why can't she just come here?"
"Callie, I wanted that for you and me more than anything in the world. But, things change. People change. Feelings change. I just don't love Mommy like that anymore."
"Because of Stef?"
"I do love Stef. But, that's not why. It's complicated. Some of it is grown up stuff. But, first of all, it will never make me or Mommy love you any less. You're our Callie Girl and that will never change. Second, Mommy is coming for your birthday. She promised that. You never have to worry about not having love, from either one of us. Even when she's gone, she's not walking away. She will always come back and I…," Lena kissed her repeatedly on her face, "I will never leave you."
Lena held Callie until her belly started rumbling. Then, Lena said, "What? Is your belly trying to eat me?" Callie giggled as her Mama carried her into the kitchen for breakfast.
Cocococococococococococo
Stef felt after the scene with Callie that she and Brandon needed some Mommy and son time. She decided to take him out for breakfast before heading home.
"Hey Bud," she called back to him as she locked eyes with him in the mirror. "How bout we stop and get something to eat?"
Brandon nodded happily and cheered.
They stopped at a diner and Brandon wanted to sit at the counter. He thought the stools were cool. Stef found a part that was farther away so that they could have a private conversation.
The waitress brought him a menu that he could color and the two of them ordered. Their food was brought over and they ate in silence for a while. When there became a lull in their eating, Stef decided to talk with him about the events that had taken place recently. She tried to figure out which was the easiest to start off with.
"So, Brandon, you know this morning with Callie, that she didn't mean any of what she was saying right?"
Brandon had stopped eating and looked up at her with big solemn round eyes. His eyes had more green in them than hers did but, they were still a reflection of hers.
"I just thought that she wanted to be my sister like I wanted her to be my sister. She had two mommies and now her mommy was going to be my mommy too. That means I have two mommies. But, she didn't want that." He said then he looked like he was going to start crying again.
Stef wrapped her arms around him and pulled him onto her lap. It amazed her that he could be so perceptive. She thought that she and Lena had done a good job at keeping things quiet. Apparently not if the kids had already picked up on them being a "we", "Babe, that had nothing to do with you. Callie just misses her Mommy and she hasn't been without her as long as you've been without your dad. It takes a while to get used to. You missed your Daddy a lot at first right? But, now you understand it's better that we're happy and that he will never be gone from your life. We live somewhere else is all."
"You're happier, and that makes me happier. And that makes things better, right?" he asked trying to piece together the entirety of it all.
"Right baby."
"But, is Daddy happier?" Brandon asked bringing things back around again.
"Sometimes when you do the right thing, it takes a while to feel happy about it. Just like Callie has to get used to things, Daddy does too. But, that doesn't mean he doesn't love you. And I could never not love my little guy. You're the coolest." Stef said while tickling him.
He giggled so then she sat him on his stool. They continued eating and chatted about school and other bits of nothing. Stef smiled. Things were going to be okay.